It is necessary to safely dispose of contaminated medical tools and other materials used in the medical environment. Such tools and the materials (i.e. sharps), or more specifically disposable, percutaneous devices, have been used, they must be safely disposed of so as to avoid reuse or accidental physical contact (e.g. needle stick injury).
One present known method of disposing of the above mentioned contaminated materials is to place the used syringe and needle into an apparatus which merely cuts the needle (sharp) from the syringe. The needle is kept in a container portion of the apparatus for later disposal, and the syringe portion is disposed of separately.
Alternatively, in large hospitals, medical centers and pathology departments, the whole needle (sharp) and syringe is placed in any one of a variety of containers as a complete unit, along with other contaminated medical tools or instruments. These containers are then disposed of by either incineration or burial at local garbage tips. Incineration of complete syringe is difficult and often incomplete after considerable incineration time. Further, the sharps and other instruments normally collected for disposal are usually (70-80%) highly infectious, and may remain infectious for a considerable time even after burial.
The first mentioned known method of disposal is awkward and requires the person disposing of the syringe to dispose of the syringe portions separately to that of the needle (sharp). The second above mentioned method of disposal requires the complete syringe and needle unit to be disposed of in one piece. Syringe and needle units are relatively bulky, and when a large number require disposal, the volume thereof can be inconveniently large.